Southwest Chicken Tenders: Get Your Grill On! {Freezer Meal}
Say hello to an easy freezer meal. A meal that is a great recipe for a groups of people too! These Southwest Chicken Tenders are simple to make and can be served up in so many different ways. 
Here’s a great recipe to try this grilling season.
These Southwest Chicken Tenders take main stage in the Southwest Chicken and Bacon Wraps. We’ve learned, though, that they are delicious on their own in the Cobb Salad or on a chicken sandwich like the Gourmet Grilled Chicken Sandwich.
As a mom of three younger kids, what I love about this marinade is that it’s so very flavorful but not too spicy. They are a home run with all ages.
Be sure to make two batches of these chicken tenders and freeze one for another grilling day. Enjoy!
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This southwest marinade is sure to please all the eaters in your house. It is full of flavor, but not spicy. Once you try this, it will for sure find its way in to your regular meal rotation.
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup avocado oil or olive oil
- 2/3 cup apple cider or white vinegar (Gluten-Free: Make sure your vinegar is gluten-free.)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
- 4 teaspoons chili powder
- 4 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, ground
- 3 pounds chicken tenders
Instructions
Make It Now:
- Combine all ingredients except the chicken tenders in a large zip top bag and shake. Add chicken tenders and shake again. (Freezing instructions begin here.)
- Place bag in a dish and set in the refrigerator. Let chicken marinate for 2 and up to 24 hours, occasionally turning the bag to evenly distribute the marinade.
- Grill chicken tenders over medium-high heat for about 4 minutes per side. Chicken is done when you cut into it and there is no more pink. Do not overcook.
Freeze For Later: Follow Step 1. Seal and freeze.
Prepare From Frozen: Thaw using one of these safe thawing methods.
This marinade is amazing! It has so much flavor. My whole family loves it. It is definitely better fresh. I made a batch and froze it. When we thawed the chicken it was very dry. The flavor was still there, but the chicken was not enjoyable. Thank you for sharing this!
Hi Sarah. I’m glad to hear you enjoy the marinade. About the freezer meal, did you freeze the chicken in the marinade BEFORE cooking? That’s what our directions say and we always suggest that in our cookbooks, too. Cooking it after thawing is the best way to ensure your chicken tastes fresh after freezing. I hope that helps!
I was wondering why this recipe is different from the recipe/marinade in the southwest chicken and bacon wrap recipe. I thought they were the same. Am I missing something? They have the same ingredients but different quantities of some of the ingredients. I made the recipe above and it did seem to have too much oil and a lot of chili powder. Unfortunately we didn’t love it. We could only taste chili powder and plain grilled chicken. I think this recipe could be really yummy, so was wondering about the different recipes. Anyway, we have tried lots of other recipes from here and all are super yummy. Thanks.
Jerusha, Thank you so much for this feedback. I went back and compared notes and you are right! This was totally my fault. I corrected the amounts and now it should be the same marinade amounts as the chicken in Southwest Chicken and Bacon Wraps (which I agree is spot on!). I’m so very sorry that you had a fail with this, but again I am grateful you pointed it out and saved others from the same fate. Bless you! Everyone, please note…the recipe is correct now.